Mass Media and GovernanceHow journalism and politics work together …

… and don’t work together.

• Fourth Estate– Name given to the

press that illustrates its power

• First attributed to Edmund Burke, who was a member of British Parliament in 1700s.

• At the time, clergy was considered first estate, nobility the second estate and common people the third estate.

• Fourth branch of government– Informal title that

shows media’s influence compared to legislative, executive and judicial branches

• Watchdog role– Concept that the press

acts as a truth-seeking representative of the public to guard against government excesses

• Limits on press– Broadcast regulations

• Licensing

• Equal time rule

• Fairness doctrine, ended in 1987

– Print regulations• Libel

• Invasion of privacy

• Fairness doctrine– FCC regulation that

broadcasters should air all sides of public issues

• Based on belief that broadcasting should benefit the public interest and access to information

• Eliminated in 1987 by Reagan administration because of growing efforts to decrease government regulation on business

• Don Burden– Owned a series of

radio stations in U.S.

– Instructed news staff to air favorable information on a Senate candidate, unfavorable info on his opponent

– FCC took away his licenses in 1975 for slanting information

• Tornillo opinion– Statehouse candidate

Pat Tornillo sued Miami Herald for not printing an editorial response

– Argued that fairness doctrine applied to print

– Supreme Court disagreed, saying First Amendment applies more to print than broadcast

• Internet regulation– Considered unrealistic

in U.S. to monitor infinite amount of Internet communications

– Congress attempted to regulate Web content in 1996, 1999 but both efforts failed

• Civil Rights– Media brought

attention to abuses that prompted the Civil Rights Movement

• 1965 Selma march broadcasts shocked nation

• Led to 1965 Voting Rights Act being passed.

• Watergate– Washington Post

reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein uncovered criminal conspiracy in Nixon White House in 1972

– Led to Nixon becoming first president to resign from office in 1974

• Hurricane Katrina– CNN, other media

pointed out slow federal government response to storm

– Led to changing impression of FEMA, Bush administration

– Example of CNN effect – ability of television through pictures to bring issues to public light

• Framing– Shaping how an issue

is conveyed• Journalists covering

Iraq War were embedded with troops, framing war through soldiers’ stories

• Presidential campaign framed through attack ads, rather than issues.

• Trial Balloons– An idea or policy

change given anonymously to the media to gauge public opinion

• Leaks– A disclosure of

confidential or classified information from someone in the know

• Stonewalling – To refuse to answer

questions or meet with reporters

• News Blackout– When a person or

group issues no statements despite public interest